hOmeLabs Convection Toaster Oven

[Chris Hennes]

With all the bread-baking I've been doing recently it seems like maybe it's time to finally pick up a toaster oven. A quick search on Amazon yields the hOmeLabs 6 Slice Convection Toaster Oven with a very nearly perfect rating (and yes, the "O" is capitalized). I've never heard of the thing or the brand. Does anyone here have one? What do you think?

[palo]

Hi Chris, the price is certainly attractive, but I'm sorry to say I would vote for either the Breville or CSO. The Breville will allow a quarter sheet pan whereas the CSO won't. The CSO has steam and a bread proofing setting. Both the CSO and Breville have been test driven and commented on by our members and have received satisfactory reviews. However the price of both are considerably more than the one you are considering.

 

p

[lindag]

It gets great ratings and it’s cheap, but is it tall enough for bread pans?

[Chris Hennes]

For my own use, I really want the thing for making toast, actually! A toaster won't cut it because of the often odd-sized and odd-shaped bread slices from boules. But there may be others out there considering it for more serious baking.

[boilsover]

52 minutes ago, Chris Hennes said:

With all the bread-baking I've been doing recently it seems like maybe it's time to finally pick up a toaster oven. A quick search on Amazon yields the hOmeLabs 6 Slice Convection Toaster Oven with a very nearly perfect rating (and yes, the "O" is capitalized). I've never heard of the thing or the brand. Does anyone here have one? What do you think?

 

I don't know a thing about this one, but it looks suspiciously similar in many ways to the XL Breville.  Controls are virtually identical.

 

You should check clearance from the top of your typical boule to the elements.  I doubt there's enough.

[Dave the Cook]

Even though they've improved, it still seems to be an objective fact that toaster ovens suck at making toast. I think you might have better luck looking at dedicated toasters that bear some European-influenced like this Russell Hobbs, the Dash,  or even this side-loading thing. They all have wider, longer slots for non-standard shapes and sizes.

[FauxPas]

It certainly gets lots of good reviews. Digging through the Q & A's, I found an answer from the seller stating "The interior dimensions on our oven are 12.83in L,10.90in W, 8.89in H. " 

 

But it's hard to determine how high the lowest rack position is. I would guess the the three different rack positions are about 2 inches apart, so the lowest rack position might give 6 inches or so clearance?

 

4 minutes ago, Dave the Cook said:

Even though they've improved, it still seems to be an objective fact that toaster ovens suck at making toast.

 

Several users of the Cuisinart Convection Steam oven have commented that it makes excellent toast, I'd agree with them. But it's a bit pricey. 

 

Edited November 5, 2017 by FauxPas (log)

[lindag]

The CSO excels at toast making.!

[Dave the Cook]

22 minutes ago, FauxPas said:

Several users of the Cuisinart Convection Steam oven have commented that it makes excellent toast, I'd agree with them. But it's a bit pricey. 

 

 

 

6 minutes ago, lindag said:

The CSO excels at toast making.!

 

Maybe so, but as @FauxPas points out, it's a pretty expensive toaster. I maintain that if what you want to do is toast bread, get a toaster.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

43 minutes ago, lindag said:

The CSO excels at toast making.!

 

As much as I love my CSO, my Krups toaster makes better toast.

 

[dcarch]

I use my convection/rotisserie toaster over for roasting coffee beans. I bet this one can do a very good job roasting coffee also.

 

dcarch